Multi-shell Multi-band Diffusion Imaging (MSMBDI) is more predictive of executive deficits in Preadolescents with Complex Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) compared to standard diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

We tested whether Multi-shell Multi-band Diffusion Imaging (MSMBDI) would be superior to standard DTI at delineating microstructural cortical association fiber abnormalities and predicting executive function preadolescents with complex congenital heart disease (CHD). Using both a hypothesis-driven approach (manual tractography) and a data-driven approach (q-space diffeomorphic reconstruction) we examined white matter tracts in correlation with NIH Toolbox and complementary battery of neuropsychological test. We show that MSMBDI – when compared to standard DTI – showed greater sensitivity towards white matter structure differences, superior at detecting microstructural differences in cortical association tracts in CHD compared to controls, and more predictive of executive deficits.